The present disclosure relates to a vehicle information processor that processes information related to the application of a plurality of vehicle travel modes.
A plug-in hybrid vehicle is well known in the art as a vehicle that uses an internal combustion engine and a motor as drive sources. The plug-in hybrid vehicle uses electric power transmitted from an external power supply to charge a storage battery (battery), which functions as a power source of the motor.
A typical plug-in hybrid vehicle is driven in a plurality of drive source control modes. Known examples of such modes include a charge depleting (CD) mode, which functions as a first mode, and a charge sustaining (CS) mode, which functions as a second mode.
The CD mode gives priority to the consumption of the power stored in the battery rather than sustainment of the power stored in the battery. Thus, the CD mode gives priority to electric vehicle (EV) traveling, in which only the motor is driven when the vehicle travels. The CS mode gives priority to sustainment of the battery power rather than consumption of the battery power. Thus, in the CS mode, at least one of the internal combustion engine and the motor is driven to sustain the power stored in the battery at a predetermined target value.
Studies have been conducted to divide a travel route from a route origin to a route destination into a plurality of zones and plan which mode is to be set for each zone. It is desirable for a plug-in hybrid vehicle to decrease the frequency in which the internal combustion engine is driven and extend the distance of EV traveling. Thus, the mode is planned to decrease the frequency in which the internal combustion engine is driven.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2009-12605 describes an example of a vehicle controller for a vehicle having the function described above. The controller stores the average speed of each zone that is calculated from the travel history of the vehicle. Additionally, when planning the modes for a travel route, the controller sets a mode (HV mode) that gives priority to hybrid vehicle (HV) traveling, in which the internal combustion engine and the motor are both driven, for zones having a high average speed.
Additionally, the controller sets a mode (EV mode) that gives priority to EV traveling for the remaining zones. In this case, the EV mode is set so that the stored power amount of the battery is proximate to and above the lower limit at the route destination.